


Then There Was You

by Sasparella76



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Bert is adorable, Louis is a drama teacher, M/M, harry is a baker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 07:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15576387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sasparella76/pseuds/Sasparella76
Summary: Harry Styles stopped at the park to relax after an unusually stressful day at Angel Cakes bakery. Little did he know he was about to meet a rather curly old English sheepdog. And he had no idea the affectionate stray had also made another friend…





	Then There Was You

**Author's Note:**

> 1D Pet Fest prompt:  
> ‘There’s a stray dog at the park that Person A feeds every time he sees it, Person B does the same and one day they both come to the park at the same time and the dog is so happy that both of its parents are there.’

The sun was beating down on Harry as he strode briskly past the weathered redbrick townhouses on the way to his small apartment. He had just finished for the day at Angel Cakes bakery and had been on the go since early that morning. Harry was eager to get home, put his feet up and settle down to watch a cheesy rom-com on Netflix.

Don’t get me wrong; Harry adored his job at Angel Cakes. He had started working there on Saturdays when he was fifteen. He’d swept the floors, stacked shelves and charmed the socks off the staff and customers. Harry was a bit of a domestic goddess at heart and Barbara, the bakery owner, soon recognised his potential. She encouraged Harry to embrace his love for baking and, after finishing school, he gained his professional Patisserie certifications and began to work at Angel Cakes full-time. Harry was soon preparing heavenly baked goods and experimenting with spectacular new culinary creations, much to the delight of Barbara and their customers.

But today hadn’t been the easiest for Harry. That morning, one of the bakery’s ovens had decided to stop working, which caused no end of dramas. And after the oven was finally fixed, Harry endured an uncomfortable wedding-cake consultation with a stressed bride-to-be and her pompous fiancé. The couple got into a heated disagreement over the flavour of the cake; then had another row about whether it should be decorated with sugar-paste peonies or buttercream roses. It was all very awkward.

So, all told, an extremely tired Harry was happy to be making his way home. But as he walked past his local park, he hesitated. The park looked so pretty and Harry thought it might be nice to stop by for a moment to catch his breath and shake off the frustrations of the day. 

Harry settled himself on a bench beside a wooded area at the far edge of the park. He rummaged through his backpack and triumphantly unearthed the now slightly squished sandwich he had been too busy to eat at lunchtime. His tummy rumbled in appreciation.

Harry unwrapped his sandwich and took in his surroundings. There was a large pond in the centre of the park and Harry watched a family of ducks swim serenely across the surface of the water, which glistened in the sunlight. Flower beds dotted around the park were blooming. A squirrel scampered across the grass. It was such a glorious day. 

Harry closed his eyes and listened to the gentle chatter of some nearby birds. He felt a slight breeze ruffle his hair and his body was cocooned by the warmth of the sun. Harry’s breathing slowed and his muscles began to relax. He gently drifted off to sleep …

Only to wake with a start when a sudden deadweight landed on top of him. A giant curly old English sheepdog had jumped up and was now sprawled across his thighs; licking its chops and panting excitedly. Its mouth was covered with crumbs. 

Harry looked down to see that the only thing left of his sandwich was the foil packaging. So much for enjoying a late lunch in the park, then. Harry looked back at the big lump of a dog that was now snuggling into his lap. His heart melted.

“Well hello, fella,” said Harry. “Who might you be?” 

Harry gave the dog a reassuring scratch behind his ears and noticed he wasn’t wearing a collar. Harry shuffled in his seat to see if he could spot the dog’s owner, but other than a family having a picnic and an older lady reading a paper on a nearby bench, the park was empty.

“Where did you come from, sweetheart?” mused Harry, looking into the warm brown eyes of his new companion. 

The dog responded by giving Harry a big lick before leaping off his lap and galloping towards the nearby trees. Harry wiped doggy slobber from his cheek and called out to him, but the dog was gone.

~~~ 

At Angel Cakes the next day, thoughts of the mystery dog continually distracted Harry from his work. This resulted in a couple of culinary disasters. Harry’s cupcake frosting was too runny, then one of his cakes deflated when he opened the oven door too soon. 

Barbara burst out laughing when she wandered into the kitchen and saw a pouting Harry staring forlornly at the sunken cake.

“Heyyy!” he wailed. 

“Oh, I’m sorry for laughing, sweetie,” Barbara replied, “but your cake does look a little sorry for itself. I’m guessing it wasn’t supposed to look like that?”

“Nah, it’s not exactly what I was aiming for.” Harry responded, glumly.

“You can’t win them all,” said Barbara in consolation, adding “better luck next time,” as she watched Harry scrape the contents of the cake tin into the bin.

“Concentrate, Styles,” he muttered to himself, as he gathered together the ingredients for a new cake. “Stop worrying about that blooming dog.”

~~~ 

But after his work day ended, Harry couldn’t resist going back to the park. He returned to the bench by the trees and pulled out another sandwich from his backpack, leaving it open beside him, and waited. 

A few minutes later, Harry heard some rustling in the wooded area behind him. The sheepdog he met yesterday emerged from behind the trees and eagerly bounded over to the bench; ears flapping in the breeze as he ran. 

The dog rested his chin on Harry’s knee and gazed longingly towards the sandwich. Harry let out a loud bark of a laugh, which slightly startled the dog. 

“Oops, sorry for scaring you, cherub” grinned Harry, clamping a hand over his mouth. “My mate Niall tells me I sound like a performing seal sometimes”. 

Harry broke off a chunk of sandwich and held it out to the dog, who devoured it immediately. 

“Did that taste good?” said Harry to the dog, petting him affectionately. The dog placed his paw on Harry’s thigh and leant forward in anticipation as Harry held another portion of the sandwich for him to eat.

“You know, we shouldn’t really be doing this” sighed Harry as he pointed to a large sign hammered to a nearby pole. The sign had been put up by the city’s Department of Public Health and proclaimed that visitors to the park were prohibited from feeding urban dogs.

“Promise me you won’t tell anyone that I let you eat my lunch” Harry whispered conspiratorially, as he scanned the park to make sure no-one was paying him any attention. 

Harry fed the dog the remainder of his sandwich and the dog gave an appreciative yelp of thanks. 

“I’m sure no official would mind that I fed you just this once” muttered Harry, as he valiantly attempted to convince himself it was okay to disregard the sign about not feeding strays.

~~~ 

But over the next few days, ‘just this once’ turned into ‘well, one more time won’t hurt’ and ‘I’ll just stop by the park quickly to make sure the dog is okay.’ 

Harry soon dropped the excuses entirely and admitted to himself how much he looked forward to spending time with this cuddly sheepdog. Visiting the dog after work quickly became part of Harry’s daily routine. 

And it probably won’t come as any surprise to hear that Harry began to bake special doggy snacks and treats for the curly mutt. Harry initially started to do this so he didn’t have to share his sandwiches, but he soon became hooked on creating healthy dog-friendly recipes for the pooch. And the dog hungrily wolfed down the ‘hound cakes’, ‘good-boy biscuits’ and ‘woof-woof loaf’ Harry prepared for him.

The sheepdog grew to trust Harry more and more over the next few weeks. He stopped running back to the woods after he had eaten and would instead curl up on the park bench; resting his head on Harry’s thigh as Harry gently petted him and chatted about his day. 

Spending time with the pooch quietened the small sense of loneliness Harry hadn’t before recognised he had been carrying. 

Harry knew this dog had truly stolen his heart.

~~~

The contents of a Tupperware box filled with ‘canine kibble’ rattled loudly in his backpack as Harry strode purposefully towards the park. He had just finished another shift at Angel Cakes and was keen to try out his latest doggy-treat recipe on the old English sheepdog. But as he entered the park gates, Harry pulled up in shock. 

In the centre of the park, his dog was charging after a stick that had been thrown by a rather gorgeous-looking man wearing soft black joggers and an oversized red jumper. The man was laughing loudly as he swept his choppy brown hair away from his eyes. 

Harry felt cold as a pang of jealousy struck at his heart. Was this man the sheepdog’s owner? 

He schooled his emotions and made his way over.

“Is this your dog?” Harry blurted out. He hadn’t meant for his words to sound so hostile.

The man glanced around anxiously, shifting from foot to foot. “Why are you asking?” he responded suspiciously, his blue eyes frowning at Harry through his textured fringe. “Do you work for the park authorities or something?”

“No, I don’t,” said Harry, now equally wary. “But I have spent quite a bit of time here with this dog over the past few weeks and I’m starting to feel responsible for him. So, how do you know him?”

The stranger let out a large breath at this and grinned up at Harry sheepishly “Well, actually I’ve seen the dog hanging around in the park these past few weeks as well. I couldn’t bear to think of the poor thing going hungry so I’ve been stopping by every day to bring him these.” 

He held out a packet of doggy chews he had been hiding behind his back.

Harry felt a wave of relief wash over him and let out a honking laugh. “You won’t believe this, but I’ve been feeding him too.” 

With that, Harry pulled out the Tupperware full of home-made kibble from his backpack and rattled it under the man’s nose.

At this moment, the dog came hurtling towards the two men. He dropped the massive stick he had been carrying and launched himself into the air towards the pair; almost knocking them over in his delight at seeing them together.

“Bert; calm yourself lad!” called out the petite stranger happily as the dog continued to jump up to them both repeatedly, wagging his tail ferociously and yelping in delight.

“Bert?” exclaimed a stunned Harry. “But the dog is a stray. You named him?”

“Well, actually I named him Albert,” said the man, smiling at the dog with satisfaction, “but I call him Bert for short.” 

He looked up at Harry, who was staring back at him with his mouth hanging wide open in disbelief. 

“What?” he exclaimed defensively. “The name suits him and he likes it.” 

To prove his point the stranger called out “come over here, Bert,” and the dog immediately stopped pawing at Harry’s leg and trotted over to him, panting excitedly. The man smiled joyously at Harry, waggling his eyebrows in triumph.

The pair were undeniably cute together and Harry was charmed. He bit the side of his cheeks to hold down a grin. 

“Fine,” he deadpanned. “Bert, it is. But ONLY because he likes the name.”

“You like the name too,” the stranger teased. “I can tell.” 

With that, he held his hand up to give Harry a high-five.

Harry stared at the man, then to his raised palm, then back to the man again. 

“Seriously?”

“Come on,” the man persisted, clearly amused as he nudged Harry’s arm with his other elbow. “Don’t leave me hanging.” 

“You are ridiculous,” responded Harry, smiling despite himself as he lifted his hand to return the high-five. 

“That’s what they tell me,” said the man as he fluttered his eyelashes at Harry, victorious.

“I bet Bert was originally called something awful like Scout or Mr Snuggles,” Harry continued, ignoring him. “So it's no surprise he prefers his new name. Do you have any idea how he ended up here at the park?”

The stranger’s smile faded. “Obviously, I don’t know for certain, but it seems to me that Bert has been abandoned here.”

Harry reflected on the man’s words. “I must admit, I have suspected the same thing. But how could anyone abandon Bert?”

“I honestly don’t know,” replied the man in all seriousness, shaking his head.

Harry’s heart broke for the poor dog; but he couldn’t help but smile when he looked down to see Bert settled contentedly on the grass, sprawled across both their pairs of feet. 

“Well he seems to have adopted the two of us, for sure,” Harry observed, pointing towards the dog who seemed completely at peace.

“Yes, he does, doesn’t he,” mused the man, thoughtfully. “Look, this might sound stupid, but as we both seem to have become Bert’s surrogate dads these past few weeks, maybe we should join forces for a while and keep an eye out for him together?”

This guy seemed devoted to Bert, and the dog obviously adored him. Harry looked back at him and nodded. 

“Good. That’s settled then,” said the stranger. “Now, Bert is clearly a great judge of character,” he continued, as he gestured to himself, “so I am sure we will get on well. It’s good to meet you. My name is Louis.”

With that, Louis extended his hand towards Harry and smiled bashfully. “Hi.”

As Harry moved to shake Louis’ hand, he dropped the box of kibble he’d been holding. The Tupperware lid cracked open as the box bounced on the ground, with kibble scattering like confetti onto the grass below. Bert leapt up and got to work hoovering up the contents. 

“Oops!” he said and they both grinned as they clasped their hands together in greeting.

“Pleasure to meet you, Louis. My name is Harry”

~~~ 

The next afternoon, Harry sat at his usual bench, gently looping his fingers around Bert’s curls as the dog snuggled into his side. “I’ve been coming to the park every day for weeks. How come I didn’t meet you until yesterday?” he asked curiously, looking over at Louis who was sat to the other side of Bert. 

“I work as a drama teacher.” said Louis. “I walk through the park to get to school and stopped every morning to feed Bert until a few days ago when summer recess started. I couldn’t abandon Bert, though, so I started to visit him in the afternoons instead… To be honest I am not really a morning person.” he confessed, guiltily.

“You wouldn’t like my job, then,” said Harry. “I am a baker and have to be at work really early every day.”

Louis shuddered. “How do you survive? I’d be permanently knackered.”

Harry smiled warmly. “You get used to it. And to be honest I really enjoy getting an early start. The city feels so different when I walk to work. At that time of morning everything is quiet and just starting to come alive. And of course, there are quite a few perks to working as a baker.”

Louis glanced over to Harry. “Oh yeah, like what?”

“Well, for one, I have a constant supply of cakes, muffins and donuts at my disposal,” said Harry.

“The job is sounding better already.”

Harry laughed. “Plus, I get to bake all day, which I love. So, I basically get paid to do my hobby.”

“I know what you mean,” Louis replied. “I love acting and all aspects of drama, so getting the chance to teach kids how to act is incredible. I love seeing some of the shyer kids come out of their shell, you know.”

Harry nodded as Bert stood up on the bench, arched his back and opened his mouth wide, letting out a huge silent yawn. He resettled himself and lay on top of Louis’ legs. 

“You comfy there, lad?” Louis asked Bert, whilst gently petting the top of his head. 

“He’s such a good dog.” Harry observed.

Louis looked at Harry, nodded and smiled.

“Can you come back to the park tomorrow?” asked a hesitant Harry.

“I would say that is a distinct possibility,” grinned Louis; his blue eyes crinkling. 

“Well I’ll be here at three o’clock after my shift at the bakery finishes.” said Harry, feeling suddenly flustered. “Maybe I’ll see you then? And Bert. I am coming to see Bert, obviously. So, I’ll be here. At the park. Tomorrow. At three. With Bert. But if you are here as well at that time, then that would be nice. I mean, it’s okay if you would rather hang out with Bert by yourself. I do underst…”

“Harry.” Louis placed his hand gently over Harry’s fingers that were entwined in Bert’s curls. 

Harry stilled. 

“You are waffling, love. And I’d like it very much if you, me and Bert spent some time together again tomorrow.”

~~~ 

Harry and Louis began to meet at the park every afternoon and their friendship blossomed quickly. There was something about Louis’ personality that Harry found magnetic. Louis was loud, gregarious, funny and carefree; but also, incredibly kind and a really great listener. Plus, he was amazing with Bert, which warmed Harry’s heart. 

Harry and Louis had so much fun with Bert. They played Frisbee, threw sticks and gave him plenty of cuddles and belly rubs. Of course, Harry also spoilt Bert rotten with increasingly more creative doggy snacks.

Harry looked forward to these afternoons at the park so much. He couldn’t get over how much brighter his days felt, knowing that when he finished work he would spend time with his new friend and their incredible dog. He no longer returned straight home to a cold and empty apartment. Harry felt fulfilled and content. His life had a new-found purpose.

~~~ 

One afternoon, Bert was splashing about at the edge of the pond as he attempted to touch his reflection in the water. Harry and Louis sat on their bench, watching him play. Harry rummaged in his backpack and pulled out a cardboard pastry box, which he proudly handed to Louis.

“I don’t see why Bert should be the only one of us who gets to enjoy tasty treats, so I’ve brought us both a present.”

Louis looked inside and groaned in happiness when he saw two huge slices of a rich chocolate gateau.

“Freshly prepared by my own fair hands this morning.” 

“Wow, Harry, thank you. You made this?” asked a rather awe-struck Louis. 

Harry nodded happily.

“You are so talented, love. This cake looks and smells incredible.”

Harry’s cheeks turned a deep shade of pink at the compliment whilst Louis scooped up a slice of the gooey cake. He turned to give Harry an appreciative grin and took a huge bite. As he did so, the gateau went all squidgy and chocolate ganache squirted right up his nose. 

Louis yelped and Harry honked with laughter.

“You think that’s funny, do you, Styles?” Louis said, smiling despite himself as he wiped the ganache from his nose.

“It is a bit funny, to be honest, Lou,” replied a grinning Harry, dimples popping.

“Well I am sooooo glad I have been able to entertain you,” said Louis grandly before lunging towards Harry in an attempt to smush the remaining gateau into his cheeks. 

Harry squawked and grabbed a tight hold of Louis’ wrists as he tried to swerve the incoming ambush. 

“Seeing as you find it so amusing to see me covered in cake, I thought you might like some for yourself,” continued a gleeful Louis.

“Stop it, Lou,” gasped a squealing, giggling Harry as he continued to dodge the gateau that a surprisingly-strong Louis was wielding. “Keep your cakey hands away from me, you oaf.”

During the tussle, they both rolled off the bench and Louis landed heavily on top of Harry, pinning him to the ground. The impact of the unexpected fall seemed to startle them both momentarily. 

“Are you alright, love?” asked a worried Louis, when he got his breath back. “You haven’t hurt yourself, have you?”

But Harry didn’t reply. He couldn’t draw his eyes away from Louis. 

From his beautiful eyelashes. 

From his sharp, angular cheekbones. 

From the smattering of wiry stubble that covered his jawline. 

From the small cluster of freckles that dusted his left cheek. 

Rays from the sun interwove themselves with strands of Louis’ hair and he shone like an angel. Harry thought him truly beautiful.

Their bodies pressed even closer together as their legs intertwined. Louis gazed longingly at Harry, before dragging his eyes down to Harry’s lips. Harry’s breathing hitched as electric shocks pulsed through his body. His heart was pounding. 

Louis’ tousled fringe fell forward as he slowly, hesitantly, leaned in. Harry tilted his head and closed his eyes, gently parting his lips…

‘SPLOSH’ 

A huge noise came from the direction of the pond, followed immediately by lots of barking, splashing and a great deal of indignant squawking from the park’s ducks.

The magnetic force connecting Harry and Louis abruptly severed as both instinctively looked towards the commotion. A soaking wet Bert clambered ungainly out of the pond and began to race towards them with delight on his face. Bert shook himself vigorously and beads of pond water flew across the air in all directions, drenching the two men.

“Albert Tomlinson-Styles! What DO you think you are doing?” exclaimed Louis as he dropped the gateau and sprang to his feet, trying to get a hold on Bert to calm him. 

Harry sat upright and began to shake his own curly hair to rid it of the smelly pond water. 

“Oh, my days. I’ve got two of you at it now” said an incredulous Louis. “Right, well you two terrors are both for it.”

Harry leapt up with a shriek as Louis began to chase him and an exuberant Bert around the park until the three of them were sprawled, panting and laughing across the grass. Harry looked over to see Louis cuddling a still-damp Bert.

“You know; Bert is nearly as big as you, Lou,” sassed Harry, as he flashed a toothy grin towards Louis.

“Oi, I’ll have less of your cheek, thank you kindly,” said Louis, shaking his head in disapproval, but with his fond smile and the soft crinkles around his eyes giving his true feelings away. 

Harry laughed and stuck his tongue out at Louis; truly content. 

He was floating inside a warm summer bubble and he hoped this feeling would never end.

~~~ 

The staff at Angel Cakes loved to hear about Harry’s exploits at the park and listened attentively whenever he charmingly recounted tales of his meetings with Louis and Bert. But whilst some members of the team simply lusted after a bit of juicy gossip, Barbara transitioned into full mother hen mode.

Barbara had always felt protective over Harry, having known him since he was a teenager, and privately she regarded him as a part of her family. Barbara intended to pass ownership of Angel Cakes over to Harry when she retired, although she hadn’t discussed this grand plan of hers with him yet. Or with anyone. 

But that conversation could wait until another day. After hearing Harry talk about Louis and Bert again during his tea break, Barbara wanted to make sure Harry was okay.

“Forgive me if I am poking my nose in, sweetie,” said Barbara softly, entering the bakery kitchen as Harry spooned creamy vanilla batter into individual cupcake cases, “but I think you are rather keen on this young man from the park and from the sounds of things he has a bit of a soft spot for you too.” 

Harry sat the mixing bowl down on the countertop and looked up at Barbara, his cheeks flushed.

“Louis and I? Do you think? I mean. We’re… we’re friends. We are definitely friends and I look forward to spending time with him ever so much. But I haven’t known him long. We don’t know much about each other.” 

“I don’t know if that is necessarily true, Harry,” responded Barbara. “You might feel like you don’t know Louis well, but I can see he has had an impact on your life in a way no-one has before. Even in the short space of time you have known each other. Your eyes shine when you talk about Louis. You are blossoming and there is a glow about you.”

“Barbara,” whispered Harry, sinking heavily onto a perching stool and looking down at his hands.

“No, Harry, none of that, please,” said Barbara as she walked towards him, prompting Harry to lift his head. “There is no need to feel shy when talking about your true feelings for someone. Our lives are short and I think it is wonderful that you have found a man who makes you feel so happy. Louis does make you happy, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, he does. Very much so,” admitted Harry quietly.

“So, are you absolutely sure that there is nothing between you? That he doesn’t feel the same way?”

At this, Harry looked down once more and began to loop one of the strings from his apron around his finger. 

“I don’t know.” 

Harry hesitated and Barbara waited silently. 

“There was a moment the other day when I thought we were about to… but I don’t know.”

Harry shook his head. 

“What if Louis just sees me as a friend? What if he doesn’t feel any more than that for me? And we have Bert. What should we do about Bert? He can’t go on living in the park; it’s not safe for him. He needs a proper home and a real family. But I only have a tiny studio apartment with no garden. There isn’t enough room for me in there, let alone Bert as well.”

Barbara nodded. “The situation can’t go on as it is, Harry. The pair of you need to sit down together and decide what you want to do for Bert. And maybe, when you feel ready, you could also talk to Louis about your feelings for him? Hiding away from a problem and concealing how you feel is never a good idea in the long run.”

“I know, Barbara, but the thought of it terrifies me,” Harry confessed. “Louis and I get on so well and I don’t want to spoil anything between us. I know it is selfish, but I have been so happy recently and I am scared that if we find a place for Bert to live, I might not see him or Louis again.”

Barbara nodded. “It is completely understandable that you feel this way. Louis and Bert have become such a big part of your life. But you have to do what is right for Bert and put him first, so be brave and draw on your inner strength right now. Besides; these things have a habit of working out, you know. And never forget that I will always be by your side. I believe in you, Harry.”

Harry took a deep breath and gave Barbara a small watery smile. 

“I will talk to Lou at the park this afternoon, I promise.”

“There’s my boy,” said Barbara, pinching his cheek and heading towards the door. Now hurry up with those cupcakes, sweetie, or we’ll have some very grumpy customers on our hands.”

~~~ 

That afternoon, Harry walked towards the park with his mind racing and his heart in his mouth. Barbara was right, he rationalized. They needed to come up with a plan for finding a permanent home for Bert. And maybe he could pluck up the courage to ask Louis out on a date as well?

As he neared the park gates, Harry spotted Louis stood in the centre of a huddle by the entrance to the park, pleading with two men who were wearing very official looking uniforms. The three men stood beside a small white van which had the words Animal Care and Control emblazoned in blue across the side. 

Harry felt sick to his stomach. 

Bert. 

Harry sprinted over as Louis continued to argue loudly, the panic clear in his voice. 

“…as I have told you both repeatedly now, Bert is my dog but he slipped away to explore. My friend and I have been searching for him.” 

Louis gestured wildly over to Harry to join him.

“I am sorry, sir,” said one of the animal control officers, “but there have been multiple reports of an urban dog matching this canine’s description running loose in this park. He doesn’t have a collar or an ID chip in place and you have no proof of ownership, so we are taking him to a shelter.”

The back doors of the van were open and Harry gasped when he looked inside and saw a timid Bert visibly trembling inside a transport cage.

A deep crease formed between his eyebrows as he struggled to conceal the worry etched on his face. 

“Hey there Bert,” he said as reassuringly as he could. “Please don’t be scared. Everything is going to be okay.” 

Bert moved to the very front of the cage and whimpered pitifully as he tried to stretch a paw out to reach Harry. 

One of the animal control officers softened upon seeing the pair interact. 

“Alright,” he relented, “we can give one of you a lift to the shelter, so if this IS your dog you can get everything sorted out there.”

“Can both of us go?” asked Harry. 

“No, we only have room for one. The passenger seat is spare as my colleague will sit with the dog in the back of the van. But we are leaving right now so be quick.” 

“I’ll go,” said Louis without hesitation. 

“Alright then, get in.” 

The animal control officer opened the passenger door and Louis jumped in immediately. The doors shut and the van drove off. 

Harry stood in the park alone.

~~~ 

The next morning, Harry arrived at Angel Cakes feeling numb. There were dark shadows under his eyes and his face was fraught with worry. His voice cracked as he said good morning.

Barbara took one look at Harry and pulled him into the small back office.

“What on earth has happened, sweetie?” she exclaimed as she shut the door, “Did your talk with Louis not go so well?”

“Oh Barbara, it was awful,” Harry replied as he shrugged a heavy tear away from his cheek and recounted his experiences since leaving work the previous afternoon. 

“When I arrived at the park yesterday, Bert was locked in the back of an animal control van. Louis was begging the control officers to give Bert back to us, but they said they had to take him to a shelter. Louis went with them but I haven’t heard from him since.”

“Oh, Harry, how dreadful!” sympathised a shocked Barbara. 

“I feel so stupid because it was only after Louis left that I realised I still don’t know where he lives and I don’t even have his mobile number. We always just met at the park,” Harry explained, shakily. “I do know where Louis teaches, but his school is closed for the summer. And he has said to me before that he doesn’t keep any social media accounts in case the kids at his school search for him. I just don’t know how to contact him.”

Barbara gave Harry a big hug as tears now started to flow steadily down his cheeks. Harry shook his head and pinched his fingers between his eyes as he tried to compose himself. “I thought I might go back to the park this afternoon to see if Louis is there. I know it is a long shot but I don’t know what else to do.”

“I think that is a very good idea,” Barbara reassured him. “Now, why don’t you go home, Harry? We can cover for you today.”

“No,” said Harry, shaking his head resolutely. “I would prefer to be busy if that is okay with you?”

“Of course,” said a concerned Barbara. “But how about you stay in the kitchen for the day and focus on your baking?” 

Harry let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Barbara. That sounds good.”

~~~ 

Barbara was stood at the counter early that afternoon when she spotted a handsome young man and a rather large old English sheepdog peering in through the window. The man opened the door and the pair stepped inside tentatively. 

“Excuse me,” he said. “Are dogs allowed inside your bakery?”

Barbara stared at the man.

“Harry,” she called out loudly; not taking her eyes off him for a second. “Harry, get out here right now.”

“What is it, Barbara?” questioned Harry; racing in only to stop abruptly as he saw the pair standing in the bakery entrance.

“I think Louis and Bert have come to say hello” stated Barbara softly, still staring at the visitors.

“Yes, yes, we have,” replied Louis as his face lit up into a grin. “You must be Barbara. Harry talks about you all the time. It is a pleasure to meet you at last.”

“Likewise,” waved a beaming Barbara.

Harry’s brain returned to earth. He let out a rather bizarre-sounding strangled squawk as he darted around the counter and cantered ungainly towards Louis and Bert, crouching down and sweeping Bert up into his arms. The dog returned the greeting by wagging his tail excitedly and repeatedly licking Harry’s face.

“Bert, I’ve missed you so much!” exclaimed Harry, now smothering the dog in kisses.

Louis, still stood by their side, cleared his throat indignantly. 

Harry and Bert both stopped their mutual cuddle-fest to look up at him.

“Erm, was it just Bert you missed, Harry?” 

Harry stared directly up at Louis and smiled. He lifted one of Bert’s floppy ears, cupped his hand around his mouth and leant in, whispering loudly “I might have missed your papa a little bit as well. Don’t tell him, though, Bert, or we’ll never hear the end of it.” 

Louis smiled back at Harry with crinkly-eyes and knelt down before holding up Bert’s other ear.

“Hi Bert,” he said. “I might have missed your daddy here a little bit too, even though he is currently behaving like a bit of a muppet.” 

Louis then lowered Bert’s ear gently, before rolling his eyes dramatically at Harry.

Harry giggled.

~~~ 

After Harry introduced Louis and Bert to the team at Angel Cakes, they found a small table in the corner of the bakery and settled down with a pot of tea and a couple of freshly-baked lemon and poppy-seed muffins. Bert lay at their feet, happily chewing on a cake-shaped plastic doggy-toy that Louis had produced from his jacket pocket.

Louis smiled sheepishly at Harry. “I am so sorry I abandoned you in the park yesterday. I was panicking so much at the time and I wasn’t thinking clearly. I just knew I couldn’t leave Bert.”

“That’s alright, Lou,” said Harry. “I’ll be honest, I have been out of my mind with worry. But everything happened so quickly yesterday; it was all a bit of a blur.”

“I have been feeling absolutely sick about it,” an earnest Louis continued. “I shouldn’t have left you alone like that. I hardly slept last night thinking about how awful that must have felt for you. I am so very sorry.” 

“It’s okay, Lou, it’s okay,” reassured Harry, briefly placing his hand over Louis’ to comfort him.

"I realised as well yesterday how dreadful it was not to be able to talk to you or have you by my side," Louis added.

Harry hummed in agreement. “Maybe we should exchange numbers so it is a bit easier to get hold of each other in the future?”

Louis gave an abashed grin. “We probably should have done that a while ago.” 

Harry grinned back ruefully and nodded. “Probably. But let’s not worry about all that for now. Tell me what happened after you left the park yesterday. How come Bert is back here with us?”

Louis took a big slurp of tea. “The animal control officers took Bert and I to a nearby shelter. Clare, the shelter staff member I dealt with was amazing. I thought it would be best if I was completely honest with her. I explained how Bert was a stray but that you and I had been checking on him every day; feeding him, playing with him and getting to know him. Clare said Bert was not microchipped and there was no record of anyone searching for a missing dog matching Bert’s description. She told me some owners abandoned old English sheepdogs and other large breeds once they were fully grown and no longer tiny puppies.”

Harry pulled a face. 

“I know,” said Louis, shaking his head. “Anyway, a vet at the shelter gave Bert a thorough health check. He had blood samples taken, but is a healthy weight and has no obvious injuries or medical conditions.”

“Good boy, Bert,” said Harry proudly, stretching under the table to pat Bert’s head. 

“I bet the only reason Bert did so well in his medical is because you’ve been feeding him all those fancy organic doggy treats,” Louis added, thoughtfully.

Harry’s cheeks flushed at the compliment. “So, what happened next? How did you get Bert out of the shelter?”

“I told Clare that I wanted to formerly adopt Bert. Clare said I could foster him if I passed an assessment and house inspection. I spent the rest of the afternoon buying all sorts of bits and pieces from a pet store to make sure my house was Bert-friendly. A woman from the shelter came to visit me at home this morning and I was approved to foster Bert with a view to adopting him if his former owners don’t come forward. I went straight back to the shelter to fill out all the paperwork and take Bert home. You told me you worked at Angel Cakes, so after Bert was released we came straight here… We both wanted to see you very much.” 

Louis paused. “And here we are.” 

“And here you are,” repeated Harry contentedly. 

Louis and Harry smiled fondly at each other for a moment.

“Now, before I forget, I have a present for you, Harry.” 

Louis handed Harry an envelope. Inside was the paperwork Louis had completed when he agreed to foster Bert. Harry read through the papers and saw Louis had listed him as a co-foster carer.

“I named us both as Bert’s foster parents,” said Louis hesitantly. “I hope I did the right thing?”

In response, Harry leant across the table and flung his arms around Louis; giving him a quick, tight squeeze. 

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing that,” said Harry, sitting back down and beaming. “It means the world to me, truly.” 

“Well, Bert chose the two of us to be his papas, so both our names needed to be on that form,” replied Louis, leaning forward instinctively to poke at Harry’s dimple.

Harry’s heart fluttered. 

“So, what happens next?” he asked. 

“Well, I told Clare at the shelter that Bert would stay at my house,” said Louis. “We should have talked about this, I know. I hope you don’t mind?” 

“No, that’s the right thing for Bert,” replied Harry, “and I am so happy that you are able to take him in. My apartment is too small.”

“Okay,” breathed out a relieved Louis. “And you know you are welcome to hang out with us at home any time...” He paused. 

“…all the time…”

Harry glanced down, shyly. 

“…or just whenever you want to come around. No pressure,” added Louis, hastily.

“No, no, Lou,” replied Harry. “That sounds great. Perfect, really.”

“Good.” Louis let out a deep breath. “So, I thought it would be nice if the two of us took Bert back to my house now to help settle him in and we can introduce him to his new home together.”

“That’s a fantastic idea, Lou. Just give me a minute,” said Harry, standing up and moving towards the shop counter. 

“Barbara,” he said. “Do you mind if I finish my shift early so Louis and I can take Bert home?”

“I don’t mind at all, sweetie,” replied Barbara, before leaning forward and whispering “promise you’ll tell me what happened when I see you tomorrow?” Harry winked and nodded in return.

Louis stood up and moved closer to the counter. He held out Bert’s lead to Harry before hesitantly taking hold of Harry’s free hand. 

“Is this okay?” he asked tentatively, lifting up their interwoven fingers.

“It is,” Harry responded, squeezing Louis’ hand reassuringly. “I like it.”

“That’s good then,” replied a contented Louis.

“So where do you live?”

“In a town-house just a few blocks away. I thought it would be nice if we cut across the park to get home.”

Harry smiled at Louis tenderly and they walked towards the park together, holding hands the entire way. Bert walking by their side. 

The three of them were heading home.

~~~ The End ~~~

And that is it! We have come to the end of the story of how Harry, Louis and Bert met and became a little family. But I couldn’t resist letting you know what happened to our gorgeous trio after they all found each other.

Louis and Harry went on their first date a few days after they began to foster Bert. They became proper boyfriends pretty quickly after that. Harry began to spend more and more time with Louis and Bert at Louis’ home, before moving in four months later when the lease to his own apartment expired. 

Harry first told Louis he loved him the evening they moved in together. Louis said he loved Harry back and had been wanting to say the ‘L’ word for ages. 

Harry had a few heart-to-hearts with Barbara during the early stages of his relationship with Louis because he worried he might be taking things too quickly; even though he knew everything just felt right. Barbara always encouraged him to be happy and to go for it. So, he did.

A few months after Louis and Harry started living together, Barbara told Harry she was planning to retire. She asked if Harry would take over ownership of Angel Cakes. Harry was stunned, overjoyed and terrified - all at the same time. He is currently taking a part-time course in small-business management at a local college and Barbara is teaching him the ropes in between sorting out her retirement plans. And thanks to Harry, Angel Cakes now sells a small but very popular range of healthy organic doggy-treats and snacks in addition to their incredible baked goods. 

Louis continues to adore his job teaching drama and he recently directed his school’s end of year play. The students performed in Grease, which has been Louis’ favourite musical since he starred as Danny Zuko in his own school production. Louis listened to the soundtrack so many times during rehearsals that he would often burst into song at home, serenading Harry whilst grabbing his hands and twirling him around the house. Harry may have dressed up as Sandy one evening to surprise Louis (aka Danny) as he returned home from a rehearsal. And Louis may have liked that a lot.

Louis enrolled Bert in doggy agility classes. Bert has bundles of energy and absolutely adores flying around the obstacles: weaving his way through columns of poles, charging through tarpaulin tunnels and leaping over small fences. Louis has even entered Bert into a couple of agility competitions, with Harry cheering loudly from the stands at every event and taking masses of photos as Louis and Bert gallop round each course. Bert always represents his animal shelter when he competes at the doggy agility events and Harry and Louis are immensely proud of him.

And that brings us up to date. Well, almost…

~~~ 

“Harry! Harrrrrrry! What are you doing up there? Bert’s ready to go to the park.”

“I’m right here, Lou,” said Harry running downstairs from their bedroom wearing a pair of skin-tight black jeans and a billowing black blouse emblazoned with pink flamingos. “Can you grab Bert’s lead whilst I put my boots on.”

But Louis continued to stare transfixed as Harry bent down to zip up a pair of wedge-heeled tan suede boots.

“Honestly, Harold,” he tutted, “are those boots really the most appropriate footwear for the park?”

Harry honked out a surprised laugh before turning to beam at Louis. “My boots are fabulous and you love them.”

“Maybe I do, and maybe your legs look incredible when you wear them,” conceded Louis, “but I also know that those boots make you look very tall.”

Harry grinned. “Nah; my boots are staying on, thank you.”

With that, he moved closer to Louis until the tips of his boots touched the toes of Louis’ trainers. Their bodies inches away from each other. 

“Hmmm, now let’s see,” mused Harry as he pulled Louis firmly towards him and kissed him passionately.

Harry then stepped back, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and smiled contentedly.

“It seems to me that we fit together perfectly; even when I wear my boots,” Harry announced breezily, “so, stop your worrying, short-stuff. Let’s take Bert to the park.”

~~~ 

Louis steered Harry and Bert over to the far bench by the wooded area of the park. 

Their bench. 

When they sat down, Harry leant forward to unclip Bert’s lead from his collar, but Louis put his hand on Harry’s to stop him. 

“Just a minute, Harry. I wanted to talk to you for a little while, if that’s okay.”

“Sure,” said a puzzled Harry. “What is it, Lou?”

“It was a year ago today that I first met you here at this park and found my family,” said Louis, deep in thought as he reached down to tickle Bert, “so I can’t think of a more perfect time or place….” 

Louis hesitated, before moving slowly from the park bench to kneel in front of Harry, with Bert sitting by his side. 

“What are you doing, Lou?” asked Harry.

But Louis was now untying a small pouch hanging from the bottom of Bert’s collar. He opened the pouch with trembling fingers and took out a ring, which he offered up to Harry.

“Harry Edward Styles. Over this past year, you have made my life complete. You are the kindest and most wonderful daddy to Albert and you make me the happiest man in the world. I love you endlessly and want to spend the rest of my life with you. I promise to take care of you and worship you every minute of every day.” 

Louis took a breath and paused as he stared into Harry’s beautiful deep green eyes.

“Will you marry me, Harry?”

Harry gazed at Louis in stunned silence. He took a moment to collect his thoughts before responding, softly.

“Louis, my love,” he said, brushing his thumb tenderly across Louis’ cheek to wipe away a tear that had just fallen. “You have made my life so special. You exude warmth and compassion and you make me smile and laugh every day. I feel absolute joy whenever I am with you. Of course, I’ll marry you. You are my soulmate and I am so glad we found each other here in this park.”

At this, Louis took hold of Harry’s left hand and slid the engagement ring onto his finger. 

“It fits,” he said, breathing out in relief as Harry smiled at him fondly.

Louis kissed the engagement ring on Harry’s finger and they held hands tightly.

“Can you hold me for a little while, Lou?” whispered Harry, quietly.

“Oh Harry, of course,” gasped an emotional Louis, scrambling up to sit back on the park bench. 

“Come here, you soppy so and so.”

Louis held out his arms and wrapped Harry in a tight embrace. Bert clambered up onto their knees to join in the hug. 

Their little family was complete.

~~~ 

“Lou,” said Harry after a minute, still wrapped tightly in Louis’ arms.

“What, Harry?”

“You know I love you very much and this is an incredibly special moment that we will cherish forever?”

“Yes, Harry.”

“Good. Now can you stop hugging me, please, because Bert keeps licking me and I am covered in doggy-slobber… It’s getting in my hair and everything.”

Louis snorted and sat back on the bench, looking over at Harry and Bert with fond exasperation as a pouting, squealing Harry tried his best to wipe the slobber from his face whilst Bert wagged his tail vigorously and continued to smother him in doggy kisses. 

“Good grief,” Louis exclaimed, shaking his head whilst his heart filled with love. “My fiancé and our dog are a pair of idiots.”

**Author's Note:**

> I am sending massive thanks and a big hug to the person who submitted this prompt to the 1D Pet Fest. It was such a lovely fic to write and I hope you enjoyed reading it.
> 
> Apologies for any inaccuracies with my description of doggy adoption. If you are thinking of adopting an animal, your local animal rescue shelter will guide you step-by-step through the process. I can highly recommend adopting a rescue animal. I adopted my amazing cat eighteen months ago. She’d had a tough life before I met her but is the sweetest old girl and I love her to pieces.
> 
> Title from ‘love at first sight’ by Kylie Minogue.


End file.
